De Bruyne, Salah among PFA nominations

Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne and Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo join a trio of Liverpool players among nominations for the Professional Footballers’ Association men’s players’ player of the year award.

Forwards Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, along with centre-back Virgil van Dijk are the three Reds names on the list.

Tottenham’s Harry Kane is also included but the league’s joint top scorer Son Heung-min has not been nominated.

The winner, according to the BBC, will be unveiled on 9 June.

Premier League winner De Bruyne was City’s top scorer and assist provider this season with 15 goals and eight assists. He has already been voted the 2021-22 Premier League player of the season.

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool dominate the list having won two domestic cups, come within one point of winning the Premier League and reached the Champions League final, only to lose to Real Madrid.

Salah, the league’s joint top scorer along with Spurs’ Son, scored 23 times and he also ended the campaign with 13 assists, which saw him secure the Premier League’s playmaker award.

Mane was Liverpool’s second highest scorer with 16.

Netherlands captain Van Dijk helped the Reds concede only 26 goals in 38 league games, the joint least with champions City.

Kane was last season’s Golden Boot winner, sharing the award with Salah, and it comes as a surprise that the England skipper, who scored 17 goals this year, makes the shortlist rather than Spurs’ top scorer Son.

Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo is perhaps another unexpected name in the nominations after Manchester United finished sixth, 13 points off Champions League qualification.

However, bar Son and Salah, Ronaldo was the Premier League’s top scorer with 18.